Improvement in water-wheels



titre.

TITUs HT RUSSELL, or NORTHFIELD, vEnMoNTg Letters Pate-nt LN 94,916, dated September 14, 1869.

I'MPRovEMENT 1N WATER-WHEELS,

The Schedule referred to these Letters Patent and makngpart of the sax-ie.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I,\TITUS` H. RUSSELL, of Northfield, in the county oflVas'hington, and in the State of Vermont, `have invented new and useful Improvements in Turbine XVater-lVheels; and I` do hereby declare that Vthe following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which make part Aof `this specification, and in which Figure 1 represents'a vertical section of my improved water-wheel and its attachments, at the line a: :t of iig. 2; ,f

Figure 2, a horizontal section ofthe same,takenat diierent planes of iig. 1, which are denoted by the lines w w, y y, and z z, respectively;

Figure 3, a similar section `of'the same, at the line x' az of tlg. 1

Figure 4, a side eleva-tion ofthewheel-casing, showing the chutes, movable gates, and guides;

Figure 5, a side elevation of the wheel detached;

and t y,

Figure 6, a veit-ical section, through the counter` shaft and its bearing, at the line y y of fig. l(

lhe objects of my invention are to provide- First, an improved method of supporting the wheel and its shaft, whereby the position o f thesame may bel readilyfaud accurately adj usted as required;

Second, a convenient aud desirable mode of constructing and operating the gates, by which the sup- Vply of water tothe Awheel is regulated;

Third, an improved construction of the buckets, whereby their strength is increased, and ia greater percentage of useful effect realized from the water; and p Fourth, animproved methodof oiling the bearings of the conntershait. A l A To these ends my improvements cousist First, in supporting the wheel upon a step on the upper end of a stationary shaft, around which the hollow shaft of the `wheel revolves, its weight act-ing on the step through the intermediation of a bearing on the lower end of a short shaft within, and concentric with the wheel-shaft, having a thread cut upon it, and provided with check-nuts, by means of which it can be raised and lowered.` 'lhe wheel-shaft is maintained in proper vertical position by means of two oscilh ting collars, within. which it rotates, the same being pivoted to yeach other and to the casing or frame by setscrews, bywhich their positioncan be regulated to keep the shaft properly in line.

Second, in a series of movable gates, secured at top and bottom` to two rings, which vencircle the wheel` case, and are rotated by links connecting them with a vertical shaft, the rings being guidedin their movements by recesses in the stationary chutes, through which they pass.

Third, ina friction-roller or gear-wheel, mounted in a support in the bearing' of the oountershaft, and maintained in gear with the same, or with a similar roller or gear thereon by a spring, so as to supply oil l,

to the bearingsof the counter-shaft during its rotation.

' 'In Athe accompanying drawings, which show a con-l venient ar 'angement of parts for carrying out'the ob- `ject-s of my invention,

A represents the wheel, which rotates within a case, E, toy which the water is conducted. by suitable pipes or channels, and which' is substantially const-ructed, so as to serve as a frame-work for the support ofthe moving" parts.` y

'lhe wheel is secured upon a tubular shaft, B, connected at top to a larger shaft; B1, whiclrcarries the bevel-gear B2, through which power is transmitted to the machinery tobe driven, by means ofthe bevel-pin ion y, on the countershaft G.

Large slots, b bt, lsepa-rated by a partition, b, are formed in the upper section, B, of the wheel-shaft,

,y which bears upon a step, c, att-he top'of the stationraised or lowered as required, thus providing an etilcient means of vertical adjustment.

A collar', F, encircles the tubular sha-ft B below the bevel gear B21-he shaft revolvingfreely within it.

'lhis collar is hung upon the ends of set-screws j, screwed into a second collar, F', which surrounds it, the collar F being lullig in a similar manner on the ends of set-screwsj, screwed into lugs'on the top of a tubular bearing, E', 4attached to the case E.

The set-screws fandjv are placed at right angles to each other.

' By this a 'rangement the wheel-shaft B is maintained in vertical line, and the bearing'd and step c kept in proper position, preventing undue wear of the parts and loss of power, 'and causing thegears B2 and g to work truly together.

The water is admitted to the wheel through a series Y, of openings, e e, in the case E, which ycan be partially or wholly closed at pleasure, by the gates H.

These gates are secured at top and bot-tom to rings h hl, which encircle the case concentric with and ccnvtiguons tothe wheel A, fbrming, in connection with` the movablechutes H2, a rotating frame, to which movement is imparted in such manner as to partially or wholly close the openings e, by means of' a vertical shaft, I, carrying at top a hand-wheel or arms it', and connected, by the links il i2, with a pin, It, secured to the upper ring la.

Between the alternate movable chutes H? are placed the stationary chutes H1, in which are formed curved recesses 11,?, through which the rings h hl pass, and which serve as guides to insure the proper movement of the same, and prevent their displacement.

The chutes H1 H2 are set at such angles with the radii" of the wheel as to direct the water properly upon its buckets, and by the devices just described, it will he seen that the amount of opening for the entrance of water can be easily and conveniently regulated.

Upon the periphery ofthe wheel A are secured the buckets a a, the construction of which is clearly shown in figs. 2 and 5, they being curved both laterally and vertically, in order that the water may act upon them both by impact and reaction, and thereby' develop an increased percentage of useful eifect, as well as to enable a longer bucket to be used for the same height of wheel.

The buckets are surrounded atfbottom by a ring, A, of such height that whenin operation its top shall be below the openings c, through vwhich the water enters the buckets.

This ringis secured in suitable manner to the buck ets, and acts as a brace or strengthening-piece, to give them greater stiffness, and obviates riskof breakage or displacement.

The countershait G, through which power is transmitted to the machinery to be driven, rotates in bearings G2, on a stand, G1, secured to the top of the case E, or to the tubular stand or bearing E.

Within the bearings G2, and beneath the countershaft G, is placed a frame, g2, in which rotates a frictioi1 -iolle1,'g, which is pressed up against the countershaft by a spring, g3.

When the countershaft is in rotation, it imparts rotary movement to the friction-roller g1, by which a constant supply of oil, with which. the chamber in which the latter rotates is partially filled, is afforded to the bearings ofthe oountershai't.

Instead ot' the friction-roller, two gear-wheels, one upon the countershaft and the other on the frame g2, may be employed for a similar purpose.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

combination with the shaft Bl, bearing d, step c, and stationary shaft G, the whole constructedand operating substantially as andfor the purpose'describcd.

2. The pivoted collars F F, in combination with the tubular shaft B, stationary sha-ft C, and tubular bearing E', substantially as set forth.

3. The rings h h1, gates H, and movable chutes H2, in combination with the ease E and stationary chutes H1, constructed and operating substantially as described.

4. A friction-roller or gear-wheel, within the bearing of the conntershaft G, and pressed up to the latter by a spring for the purpose of supplying oil to the bearings, substantially as described.

The above specification signed by me, this 28th day of December, 1868. A

TITUS H. RUSSELL. Witnesses:

WILLIE T. RUSSELL, H. CARPENTER.

1..The threaded shaftl D, and check-nuts d* d2, inA 

